As a conventional apparatus of such a kind, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2004-290269 (Patent Document 1) is known. In the prior art, two characters are displayed, and two messages (speeches) corresponding to these two characters are alternately or simultaneously displayed.
Furthermore, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2006-6429 (Patent Document 2) is known. The prior art displays a plurality of characters and one speech balloon. The speech balloon is formed by a box portion and a pointer portion, and in the box portion, a message corresponding to any one of the plurality of characters is described. A character corresponding to a message within the box is indicated by the direction of a pointer.
In the related art of Patent Document 1, two characters and two messages are displayed on a single screen, and therefore, a corresponding relationship between the characters and the messages are difficult to know. Furthermore, in a case that a display screen is small like a hand-held type game apparatus, a message is especially difficult to read.
In the related art of Patent Document 2, only message of any one of the characters is displayed at one time, being short of an atmosphere in which the characters have a conversation.
Therefore, it is a primary feature to provide a novel game program and a novel game apparatus.
Another feature is to provide a game program and a game apparatus capable of displaying a conversation between the characters clearly and emotionally.
A game program according to a first embodiment causes a computer (42) of a game apparatus (10: reference numeral designating a portion corresponding in the embodiments. This hold true for the later.) to execute a first character image displaying step (S23), a second character image displaying step (S27), a first message image displaying step (S37), and a second message image displaying step (S45). The game apparatus has a first display (14) and a second display (12) which are adjacent with each other, a memory (48) storing first character image data and second character image data, and first message data and second message data respectively associated with the first character image data and the second character image data, and an operating means (22, 20).
The first character image displaying step displays a first character image based on the first character image data on the first display. The second character image displaying step displays a second character image based on the second character image data on the second display. The first message image displaying step further displays a first message image based on the first message data on the first display while the first character image is displayed. The second message image displaying step further displays a second message image based on the second message data on the second display while the second character image is displayed. The message updating step updates at least any one of the first message image which is being displayed on the first display and the second message image which is being displayed on the second display when a predetermined operation is performed by the operating means.
In the first embodiment, the game apparatus comprises a first display, a second display, a memory, and an operating means. The first display and the second display are adjacent with each other, and the memory stores first character image data and second character image data, and first message data and second message data which are respectively associated with the first character and the second character.
A first character image based on the first character image data in the memory is displayed on the first display by a first character image displaying step, and a second character image based on the second character image data in the memory is displayed on the second display by a second character image displaying step. While the first character image and the second character image are respectively displayed on the first display and the second display, a first message image based on the first message data in the memory is further displayed on the first display by a first message image displaying step, and a second message image based on the second message data in the memory is further displayed on the second display by a second message image displaying step. When a predetermined operation is performed by the operating means, at least any one of the first message image which is being displayed on the first display and the second message image which is being displayed on the second display is updated.
According to the first embodiment, the first character and the first message corresponding thereto are displayed on the first display, and the second character and the second message corresponding thereto are displayed on the second display, and therefore, the player can clearly know a corresponding relationship between characters and messages, and even a smaller display allows the player to easily read the message. Furthermore, the first character and the first message, and the second character and the second message are displayed to be adjacent with each other, and at least any one of the first message and the second message is updated in response to a predetermined operation, capable of directing an atmosphere in which the characters have a conversation with each other.
It is preferable that the first display and the second display which are adjacent with each other are located in either side of a predetermined axis. Thus, it is possible to obtain an atmosphere in which the player character and the non-player character have a conversation next to each other. Alternatively, the first display and the second display can be placed vertically. In such a case, it is possible to make an atmosphere in which a player character on the first floor and a non-player character on the second floor have a conversation, for example.
A game program according to a second embodiment is dependent on the first embodiment, and causes the computer to further execute a first reading step (S33), a first rotation processing step (S35), a second reading step (S41), and a second rotation processing step (S43). The first display and the second display are arranged in either side of a predetermined axis, and each of the first character image data and the second character image data has display directivity of a first direction along the axis. The memory further stores font image data having display directivity of a second direction different from the first direction by a predetermined angle.
The first reading step reads the font image data from the memory in accordance with the first message data. The first rotation processing step performs rotation processing by the predetermined angle on the font image data read by the first reading step. The display processing by the first message image displaying step is executed on the basis of the font image data on which the rotating processing has been performed. The second reading step reads the font image data from the memory in accordance with the second message data. The second rotation processing step performs rotation processing by the predetermined angle on the font image data read by the second reading step. The display processing by the second message image displaying step is performed on the basis of the font image data on which the rotation processing has been performed.
In the second embodiment, the font image data in the memory is read by a first reading step in accordance with the first message data in the memory. The read font image data is subjected to a rotation processing by a predetermined angle by a first rotation processing step, and a first message image based on the font image data after the rotation processing is displayed.
Furthermore, the font image data in the memory is read by a second reading step in accordance with the second message data. The read font image data is subjected to a rotation processing by a predetermined angle by a second rotation processing step, and a second message image based on the font image data after the rotation processing is displayed.
According to the second embodiment, display directivity of the first message image data and the second message image data are coincident with the display directivity of the first character image and the second character image by rotation processing, and therefore, it is possible to accurately display the first message image and the second message image. In other words, without preparing dedicated font image data being subjected to rotation processing in advance, it is possible to utilize versatile font image data.
A game program according to a third embodiment is dependent on the second embodiment. A display surface of each of the first display and the second display has a rectangular shape, and the predetermined angle is 90 degrees. The first display and the second display are arranged in such a position that a longitudinal direction of each of the display surfaces is coincident with the first direction, and a straight line (X) passing through a central point of each of the display surfaces is vertical to the axis.
A game program according to a fourth embodiment is dependent on any one of the first to the third embodiments. The first messages displaying step and the second message displaying step respectively displays the first message image and the second message image at the same height. It should be noted that “the first message image and the second message image are displayed at the same height” means that they are displayed at positions symmetrical with respect to the above-described axis.
According to the fourth embodiment, it becomes easy to read the first message and the second message.
A game program according to a fifth embodiment is dependent on any one of the first to the fourth embodiments. The game apparatus further has a first housing (16b) and a second housing (16a) connected to be rotated about the axis. The first display and the second display are respectively provided to the first housing and the second housing.
According to the fifth embodiment, the first housing and the second housing are rotated by a proper angle (10-20 degrees, for example) in such a direction the display surface of the first display and the display surface of the second display are face to face with each other (cover closing direction), and whereby, the characters look like they have a communication with each other, making an atmosphere rich.
A game program according to a sixth embodiment is dependent on any one of the first to the fifth embodiments, and causes a computer to further execute an icon image displaying step (S47). The operating means includes a touch panel (22) set on the first display.
The icon image displaying step further displays an icon image on the first display in association with the display processing by the first message image displaying step and the second message image displaying step. The message updating step executes updating processing when a touch operation to the icon image is detected by the touch panel.
In the sixth embodiment, in association with the display processing of the first message image displaying step and the second message image displaying step, an icon image is further displayed on the first display by an icon image displaying step. The updating processing by the message updating step is executed when a touch operation on the icon image is detected via the touch panel. It should be noted that the updating processing may be executed in response to an operation of pushing the operating switch (20) provided on the game apparatus as well as a touch operation on the icon image.
A game program according to a seventh embodiment is dependent on the fifth or the sixth embodiment. The game apparatus further comprises a detecting means (64) for detecting an opened and closed state of the first housing and the second housing. The message updating step executes updating processing in association with a detection result by the detecting means.
In the seventh embodiment, an opened and closed state of the first housing and the second housing (that is, a positional relationship between the both housings) is detected by a detecting means, and the updating process by the message updating step is executed by a detection result by the detecting means.
According to the seventh embodiment, an operation of changing a positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing, that is, by an operation of opening and closing the cover, it is possible to update a message. By taking the operation of opening and closing the cover as a trigger of updating the message, it is possible to enhance entertainment of the game.
A game program according to an eighth embodiment is dependent on the seventh embodiment, and causes the computer to execute a first determining step (S51), a second determining step (S53), and a third determining step (S55). Each of the first message data and the second message data stored in the memory are associated with any of a plurality of game scenes. The memory further stores scene identifying data for identifying which of the plurality of game scenes each of the first message data and the second message data stored in the memory is associated with. The positional relationship is an angle (θ) formed by the first housing and the second housing.
The first determining step determines whether or not a detection result by the detecting means is below a first threshold value. The second determining step determines whether or not the scene identifying data indicates a specific game scene when a determination result by the first determining step is affirmative. The third determining step determines a detection result by the detecting means is above a second threshold value when a determination result by the second determining step is affirmative. The message updating step executes updating process when a determination result by the third determining step is affirmative.
In the eighth embodiment, first, it is determined whether or not the detection result by the detecting means, that is, the angle formed by the first housing and the second housing is below a first threshold value by a first determining step. A second determining step determines whether or not the scene identifying data indicates a specific game scene when a determination result by the first determining step is affirmative. A third determining step determines whether or not a detection result by the detecting means is above a second threshold value when a determination result by the second determining step is affirmative. The updating process by the message updating step is executed when the determination result by the third determining step is affirmative. It should be noted that the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be the same or different from each other.
According to the eighth embodiment, if the cover is once closed in a specific game scene, and then opened, the message is updated. Additionally, the specific game scene is a kiss scene, for example.
A game apparatus (10) according to a ninth embodiment comprises a first display (14) and a second display (12) which are adjacent with each other, a memory (48) storing first character image data and second character image data, and first message data and second message data respectively associated with the first character image data and the second character image data, an operating means (22, 20), a first character image displaying means (S23) for displaying a first character image based on the first character image data on the first display, a second character image displaying means (S27) for displaying a second character image based on the second character image data on the second display, a first message image displaying means (S37) for further displaying a first message image based on the first message data on the first display while the first character image is displayed, a second message image displaying means (S45) for further displaying a second message image based on the second message data on the second display while the second character image is displayed, and a message updating means (S57) for updating at least any one of the first message image which is being displayed on the first display and the second message image which is being displayed on the second display when a predetermined operation is performed by the operating means.
In the ninth embodiment also, it is possible to clearly know a corresponding relationship between the characters and the messages similarly to the first embodiment, capable of reading a message. Furthermore, it is possible to direct an atmosphere in which the characters have a conversation.
A controlling method according to a tenth embodiment is a controlling method of a game apparatus having a first display and a second display which are adjacent with each other, a memory storing first character image data and second character image data, and first message data and second message data respectively associated with the first character image data and the second character image data, and an operating means, and comprises a first character image displaying step for displaying a first character image based on the first character image data on the first display, a second character image displaying step for displaying a second character image based on the second character image data on the second display, a first message image displaying step for further displaying a first message image based on the first message data on the first display while the first character image is displayed, a second message image displaying step for further displaying a second message image based on the second message data on the second display while the second character image is displayed, and a message updating step for updating at least any one of the first message image which is being displayed on the first display and the second message image which is being displayed on the second display when a predetermined operation is performed by the operating means.
In the tenth embodiment also, it is possible to clearly know a corresponding relationship between the characters and the messages similarly to the first embodiment, capable of easily reading a message. Furthermore, it is possible to direct an atmosphere in which the characters have a conversation with each other.
Accordingly, it is possible to clearly and emotionally display a conversation between the characters.
The above described features, aspects and advantages of the embodiments described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.